Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Israel

Israel is the second package of the year-two Little Passports World Edition Subscription. Today, I’m going to share some Montessori-inspired activities that work well with the Little Passports Israel package … not too long before Hanukkah! I also have a special giveaway of a 3-month subscription for the new Little Passports Early Explorers Edition! (Giveaway is open in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia.)

Disclosure: I’m an affiliate for Little Passports and, as an ambassador, I received a 2-year subscription to the World Edition of Little Passports. I have posts for each of the year-one packages with Montessori-inspired activities featuring Little Passports. Periodically, I’ll be sharing posts for the year-two packages. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Of course, all opinions are my own. Here are my previous Montessori-inspired Little Passports posts:

1. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Global Adventure (which contained the Little Passports suitcase, passport, and world map used each month along with a letter from Sam and Sofia, activity sheet, stickers, and a boarding pass with access to online games and activities)
2. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Brazil
3. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Japan
4. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – France
5. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Egypt
6. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Australia
7. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Mexico
8. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – South Africa
9. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – India
10. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – England
11. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – China
12. Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Argentina
13. Montessori-Inspired LIttle Passports Activities – Russia

The Little Passports materials could work especially well for afterschooling, in a Montessori homeschool with children of multiple ages, or for summer learning. The World Edition is a monthly subscription recommended for ages 5-10. A total of 24 different adventures are available in the series. I’m sharing activities that would allow multiple ages to join in the adventures.

Contents of the Little Passports Israel Package:

Contents of the Little Passports Israel Package

• A letter from Sam and Sophia, your child’s travel companions. This adds interest to a world study for a wide range of ages.
• Souvenirs themed around the chosen country. This month’s souvenir is a wooden dreidel.
• An activity sheet for the country. This will generally be best for 5-10 year olds.
• A picture from the country. This month’s picture is of Sam and Sophia in Israel
  Picture of a Uakari Monkey
  Picture of a Uakari Monkey
  Picture of a Uakari Monkey
• A passport stamp.
• A map marker.
• A sticker for the suitcase.
• A “boarding pass” for access to online content about the country. This month’s boarding pass has a map activity with a tour of Israel (which includes a printable photo album), Isreal Museum Flashlight Tour, and Israel Concentration (which leads to a Hebrew phrase at the end). The online activities are recommended for ages 5-10, although many preschoolers could be included in online activities for Israel. I would definitely print out the pages for each Little Passports country as a way to reinforce what’s learned about each country.

Following are some suggestions on how you can make Little Passports Montessori-inspired and have it work for multiple ages at home.

If you sign up for a subscription, you could do activities related to the month’s package and then focus on the continent box for the continent of the next package’s country. I recommend focusing on the continent for the next country you’ll be receiving when your children are finished with the focus of their present package (maybe two weeks with the package’s country and then start focusing on the continent for the next country.)

Map Work

The first package had a global focus, so you could have done any sort of continent map work in connection with the first package. After that, it’s best if your children have a chance to work with related Montessori continent box materials before the country package arrives. For the Israel package, I’d recommend reviewing the Asia continent box before and after working with the Israel package. (See Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities with Animal Figures and Landmarks – Asia.)

Map Unfolding and Folding and Country Matching Activity

I have examples of this activity for a number of Little Passports posts, so I’m not showing the latest variation for Israel. Here’s an example you can use to set up a similar activity: Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Mexico.

Dreidel and Instructions

Dreidel and Instructions

The dreidel in the Israel package has so many possibilities for fun activities for a variety of ages. The history of the dreidel is fascinating, too. I prepared a simple tray with the wooden dreidel and instructions from Little Passports. You can use a variety of objects as prizes … chocolate coins, paper coins (see the gelt-making tray below), pennies, raisins, or some other objects that your children choose. You could even include a basket for your children to collect “prizes” from around your house to use when playing the game.

Gelt-Making Tray

Gelt-Making Tray

This is another activity that could be used for a variety of ages. Carolyn from The Pleasantest Thing has a post at What Do We Do All Day with directions for making your own gelt, or Hanukkah coins. I used a piece of craft foam to make a circle template similar to a metal inset shape. Otherwise, I set up the tray to follow Carolyn’s directions for making gelt. The DIY gelt coins would work well with your Little Passports wooden dreidel.

Dreidel-Making Tray

Dreidel-Making Tray

This activity isn’t included in the Little Passports package, but it extends the dreidel activity. This tray uses the free Paper Dreidel printable from Coloring Pages. I like that this printable explains the different symbol used on an Israeli dreidel. It’s also a great craft for Hanukkah. You could add the free printable dreidel from Printables 4 Kids. I like that one for its explanation of the symbols.

Dreidel Spin and Count Activity

Dreidel Spin and Count Activity

Again, this activity isn’t part of the Israel package but uses the dreidel and extends the dreidel activity. It uses the free Hanukkah Pack from 3 Dinosaurs. I added glass gems as markers for the graph. You could use water beads and/or make this into a cooperative game if you wish.

Dreidel Board Game

Dreidel Board Game

I love this free dreidel board game from Therapy Fun Zone. Again, it only uses the dreidel from the Little Passports package. This game is great for a variety of ages. It emphasizes both movement and language skills. For younger children, you could change an activity such as “write the names of 5 animals” to “say the names of 5 animals.”

Other Israel Activities

You could make bookmarks and map and flag work similar to the activities in my Argentina post, a capital city and flag tray similar to the one in my China post, and/or flag jigsaw puzzle and other flag activities similar to ones in my England posts. I also have a post with Montessori-Inspired Hanukkah Activities. Have fun studying Israel! 🙂

Montessori-Inspired Global Adventure Pinterest Board and Related Continent Resource Boards

Be sure to check out the Montessori-Inspired Global Adventure Pinterest Board and each of the related continent educational resource boards (which include resources for the related countries included in the Little Passports World Edition packages). The Pinterest boards contain ideas and activities that can be used to create continent boxes and complete unit studies for a variety of ages to go with your Little Passports packages. I add geography resources to Pinterest each month.   Here are links to each of the Pinterest boards in the order the continents are introduced through Little Passports: Montessori-Inspired Global Adventure (introductory geography resources and 7-continents activities)  *South America Educational Resources *Asia Educational Resources *Europe Educational Resources *Africa Educational Resources *Australia Educational Resources *North America Educational Resources *Antarctica Educational Resources

More about Little Passports

You can sign up for 3 months ($13.95/month with a one-time payment of $41.85), 6 months ($13.95/month with a one-time payment of $83.70), 12 months ($10.95/month with a one-time payment of $131.40), or monthly ($11.95/month, billed monthly and can be cancelled any time).

The USA Edition for 7-12 year olds has the same payment plans and prices as the World Edition. For the first month, the USA Edition subscription starts with the Discovery Kit which comes in a custom Sam and Sofia USA Portfolio and includes:

Every month after the first month, your child will visit 2 new states and receive: *A 32-page activity-packed journal covering 2 states *Stickers *Pop-out Models *Postcards *Access to more information and activities online         You can find out more and subscribe at Little Passports.

Little Passports Early Explorers

Little Passports has a wonderful new program for preschoolers, called Early Explorers. Children ages 3 to 5 can experience the joy of learning about new cultures. Each month, your child will be introduced to a new theme like animals, music, and landmarks. Early Explorers is designed with preschoolers in mind and provides fun and educational activities, souvenirs and stickers. During the first month, a Traveler’s Kit arrives in a fun orange suitcase. It holds everything a child needs to start learning about the world: *An activity book introducing new characters Max, Mia, and their dog Toby *A wall-sized world map *Stickers and a wall decal *A luggage tag After the first month, a monthly World Theme Kit arrives, which contains: *An activity booklet *Souvenirs *Flashlight Adventures *Stickers and wall decals You can find out more and subscribe at Little Passports.

Little Passports Early Explorers Giveaway! The giveaway is now closed. See the announcement of the winner right below the Rafflecopter form. And check out the latest deal in the banner ad right above this!

What You Will Win: 1 lucky winner from the U.S., Canada, UK, or Australia will win a 3-Month Subscription to Little Passports Early Explorers Edition!

Who is Eligible:

This giveaway is open to anyone 18 and older in the U.S., Canada, UK, or Australia. Little Passports will pay for shipping.The first entry is mandatory. You must leave a blog post comment telling why you want to win (and be sure to click the green “ENTER” on the Rafflecopter form to let me know you left your blog post comment and to open up the optional entries)! After you’ve completed your mandatory entry, there are lots of optional entries. You have many chances to win! (Note: For the extra entries, you may count ways of following that you already do. For example, if you previously followed Living Montessori Now on Pinterest, you may still count that for your Follow Living Montessori Now on Pinterest entry!) It’s easy to enter giveaways with Rafflecopter! Just follow the directions to enter.If you still have questions about the Rafflecopter form, here’s a 52-second video with quick directions for entering through Rafflecopter. (Note: If this form doesn’t work for you, you can also sign up on the Rafflecopter form at the Living Montessori Now Facebook page. Just be sure to leave your blog comment here!) You must complete the Mandatory Entry to qualify for any additional entries. The giveaway closes 9:00pm PST on Saturday, November 29 . Best of luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway  

UPDATE:

It’s Sunday morning, November 30. I really appreciated the 719 entries. A winner has been selected using Random.org through Rafflecopter!

The winner of the Little Passports 3-Month Early Explorers Subscription is Stephanie S!

I’m so happy for Stephanie! (Note: Stephanie, you have 48 hours to respond to my email, or a new winner will be chosen.)

The comment for Stephanie’s mandatory entry (why she wanted to win the the Little Passports subscription) said:

“I want to win because I think it is important to learn and teach my son about other cultures, states, and countries. I really enjoy learning about them myself as well. My son would have a blast with this subscription!”

CONGRATULATIONS, Stephanie!!! A HUGE THANK YOU to Little Passports for sponsoring this fun giveaway – and thank you to everyone who entered!

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